Flu Home
by CeriseReve
Summary: Alan reflects on jewelry as well as Larry and Megan's relationship.


**Title**: Flu Home  
**Author**: CeriseReve  
**Pairing**: Larry/Megan, Alan/Millie, Charlie/Amita  
**Rating**: PG  
**Summary**: Alan reflects on jewelry as well as Larry and Megan.  
**Word Count**: 1337  
**Spoilers**: Provenance, Brutus, Killer Chat, and Art of Reckoning  
**Notes/Warnings:** Thank you Jo and Em for taking the time to beta my work.  
**Prompt/Challenge**: Challenge Prompt #17 – Jewelry  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Numb3rs characters because they were created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton. This story is strictly for fun not profit.

**Flu Home**

"_The way we see ourselves changes the way we see the world. Even from space."  
__-- Larry in Killer Chat_

Outside I heard the crunch of tires stop in the conveniently empty driveway.

"She's here," Donnie half whispered, made eye contact with Larry, and shooed all of us out into the backyard when the car door slammed shut. "Remember to stay quiet."

We obeyed and waited as the seconds ticked by.

The doorbell rang and even the fresh cut roses Larry held clutched in his hands seemed to be impatient. Charlie, Millie, and Amita huddled on the porch waiting too. I'm sure they'd have their ears against the door if they could, but even through the open door it wasn't necessary. We could all hear just fine.

Colby and David, wearing Cheshire grins, moved behind me. The air was thick with anticipation. In the silence the door unbolted and opened.

"Hey." I could imagine his nonchalant expression. "Come on in."

"Hey yourself." The door shut after she stepped inside. "You read the Director's memo?" Megan asked tentatively.

"Yeah," he was quiet, but his voice still carried. "I'm not pleased with it, but we all knew it would happen someday." My oldest son's insistence on throwing a welcome home party started to have a secondary motive.

"Told the others yet?"

"You should, not me," he replied. This was plainly not the way he had intended their conversation to start off.

"I'm not looking forward to it on Monday. Finding the right words isn't going to be easy."

"I don't think it'll be…ahem…as hard as you think it will be. Come on out back."

Colby and David shifted behind me. "She's leaving?" I heard David whisper to Colby. On the other side of the open doorway Amita and Charlie exchanged a worried glance at each other, then at Larry. Larry, seemingly unconcerned with the scrutiny, checked the pocket of his jacket and then buried his nose in the flowers. Whatever the director's memo contained it wasn't a mystery to Larry.

"Don," she said and there was a rustle of fabric as she must have grabbed his arm. "You know it isn't because I want to leave your team. You know that, right? You're a fantastic boss."

"I…" There was a long pause as Donnie—and we—absorbed her words. "Thank you. I know this isn't something you can pass up. Besides, there's no doubt you're going to be just as good. **You** know that right?"

"Ohhh," she gave a muffled sigh. "I'm going to miss you."

"Me too," he said and cleared his throat. "Come on out back. I want to show you something. It'll cheer you up."

"Really?" she asked and tried to cover up a moist sniff.

"Guaranteed to."

When Donnie—arm still wrapped over her shoulder—ushered Megan though the backdoor we all tried to hide our shocked expressions with a chorus of "Surprise!" Sixty seconds ago it would have been "Welcome home!"

That no longer seemed quite appropriate.

"Sorry, you've been outsmarted by the FBI," I said and came forward to kiss her on the cheek to break the awkward moment.

"Alan, that's hardly comforting." Despite the tears in her eyes, Megan broke into a wide grin. "You guys!" she said and then whirled on Don. "'Just come over to the house for a quick moment, I have something to give you.' I can't believe I fell for it too!"

She turned to Colby and David. "You overheard?"

"Looks like the cat's out of the bag," Colby said and hugged her.

David did the same. "When are you leaving?"

"Not until the fall," she replied after she greeted Amita, Charlie, and Millie.

Larry lingered in the back of the group waiting for the others to finish. "And you!" she scolded Larry, "You were in on it too. You lied when you said you needed to reschedule our dinner date."

Larry offered the roses instead of apology. "They're beautiful," she said as she leaned in and kissed him gently.

"And they're not all," Larry said and pulled Megan further to the side. "As I flew home, I didn't know how I was going to interact with anyone here on terra firma, let alone you. It took some time in Altadena to understand my own mind."

David thwacked Colby to get him to pay attention. And we again stood silent and listening, but this time also watching.

"One of the best things," Larry continued indifferent about his shamelessly eavesdropping audience, "about living on the space station is watching the Earth roll by. It's astonishing. From such a distance we are so small compared to the massive snow-white cloud banks, the ocean tides, the jungle vegetation, arid Sahara sand, and even the twinkling city lights." He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a flat jewelry box. We leaned in closer.

"But best of all—and what the city lights can't even begin to compare to—is what's above, below, behind, and surrounding the Earth: stars for light years. I flew amongst them and I didn't fall. Now, when I look to the night's sky I contemplate the stars and recollect why I flew away and why I needed, but not wanted, to fly home."

I flinched at the word flew, uncomfortably reminded of its homonym.

"I can't give you a celestial, nuclear mass held together by its own gravity, but I can give you a chain of crystallized carbon in a Star Cut shape." He opened the box and Megan gave a little gasp. "Both dazzle. Consider it another new way to look the world. You're my star's gravity and you're what I came back to."

"Space did make you change the way you see the world." Megan's tears returned as she lifted out a diamond necklace.

"Reeves, if you're going to get all weepy again…" Colby trailed off the mock threat.

"Careful Granger," Megan said, glared over her shoulder, "or I might just knee you in the family jewels."

Everyone laughed and Megan swept her hair out of the way so Larry could fasten the necklace. The diamonds, like her unshed tears, did indeed sparkle like stars.

"Feeling more cheery?" Donnie asked stepping forward.

"Yes," she said and wiped away the last of her tears, "but also disturbed."

"How so?" Larry asked puzzled.

"When did Don become so adept at reading people emotions?"

"I had an excellent teacher," he replied.

"As did I," said Charlie to Larry.

That shocked me for a moment, but I refused to feel guilty for a father's worries. Worry's as natural as watching your child breathe. When either Donnie or Charlie fell ill I prayed their breathing would be dream deep rather than fever shallow. I would have taken their pain away in an instant, but I'd only have clipped their wings.

Don's suffering a blow letting Megan build her own team, but he'll cope and let her fly. Can I step aside and let Charlie soar on his own?

Hand in hand, Charlie and Amita admired Megan's new necklace. I know the relationship and professional problems Megan and Larry will undoubtedly face well. However they'll find their balance. Charlie couldn't have a better mentor.

Life flits between constancy, choice, and change. I rubbed Margaret's ring thinking of all the changes life threw at us at us and will still throw at me. I can't bring myself to take it off yet, but for the first time since she died I believe I could and not feel like I'd forsaken her.

Twilight settled in and although the city lights and the ever present haze obscured the stars. I knew they were shining down even if I couldn't see them. When the time comes, I also believe I could give Millie her own piece of jewelry. It wouldn't be an exchange like I'd always believed; she'll be another star.

"What are you smiling about?" Millie asked.

I brought her naked left hand to my lips. "A child with the flu."


End file.
